Line marker



H. J. LE ROY LINE MARKER Feb. 23, 1932.

Filed Feb 10 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet Inventor Q a NY L A Home y Feb. '23, 1932. H. J. LE r26! 1,846,523

LINE MARKER Filed Feb 10, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A llomey H; J. LE ROY Feb. 23, 1932.

LINE MARKER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 10 1931 A Home y Patented Feb. 23, 1932 HOWARD J. LE ROY, or mourn-VIDEO, MINNESOTA LINE MARKER Application filed February 10, 1931; Serial No. 514,881.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in devices for marking off playing fields, such as football and baseball stadia, and other. such fields as community playgrounds and the like.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device for marking-the lines of a gridiron, baseball diamond, tennis courts, basketball courts, which will facilitate the marking of such fields, insure the marking of clearly visible lines, and further to provide such a marker whereby the line or such material as is used for marking the lines will be distributed uniformly as the device is drawn over the ground, suitable means being also provided for controlling at will the discharge of the marking material.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during a study of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein Figurel is a plan view, certain parts being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, certain parts being broken away for clearly illustrating the invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of a portion of the device.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of an agitator forming part of the invention.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional elevational view taken through the container and associated parts. 7 g V Referring more in detail to-thedrawings, it will be seen that the marker comprises a pair of complemental bars 5 between parallel rear end portions of which is mounted a container 6. The bars 5 are braced with respect to the container through the medium of suitable brackets 7. Extending through the container 6, is an axle 8, the ends of which are suitably j ournalled in the bars 5.

Axle 8 is rotatable relative to container 6 and bars 5, and on the free ends of the axle are j ournalled suitable relatively large tread wheels 9, the said wheels being preferably provided with rubber tires as shown in the drawings.

The free end portions of bars 5 are offset downwardly and forwardly as at 5a and the free ends ofthe offset portions 5a have suitably journalled thereon relatively small tread wheels 10.

Each of the bars 5 intermediate its ends has suitably secured thereto as at 11 an upwardly and forwardly extending bar 12. The bars'12 at their free ends are connected by ahand grip 18.

The container 6' is provided, preferably at the top thereof, with a filling neck 14, for which is. provided a suitable cap 15.

At the bottom thereof, the container 6 is provided with a downwardly and forwardly extending discharge neck 16, the latter adjacent the rear lower portion thereof being provided with an extension to which is pivoted as at 17 one end of a discharge chute 18. As shown, chute 18 consists of a bottom, side walls, and a rear end wall connectingsaid side walls. The rear end wall 19 of the chute is normally urged in engagement with the discharge neck 16 through the medium of a suitable spring 20 anchored at one end to the end wall 19, the other end of the spring being suitably anchored as at 21 to the wall of the container 6; Through the medium of spring 20 acting on the chute 18, in the manner referred to and as shown in Figures 2 and 5, it will be apparent that the lowermost open end of the chute will be normally urged into contact with the ground thus minimizing the possibility of scattering the material asit discharges on to the ground.

Suitable means is provided for controlling the discharge of the marking material, such as lime or the like from the container 6.

Such means includes a valve seat 22 provided in the upper end of the discharge neck 16. A valve memberc23 opens inwardly of the container Grand is. normally retained in engagement with the seat 22 through the medium ofa spring 24 convoluted about ap'ortion of the valve stem 25. Spring 2 1 at one end thereof normallybears against the partition apertured for providing the valve seat 22, while the otherend of the spring normally bears against a collar 26 provided on stem 25. v V

As suggested in Figure: 5', stem- 25 intermediate its ends is bent at substantially right angles, and has a portion thereof operable Within a slot 27 provided in neck 16. The free end portion of stem 25 is journalled in a bearing bracket 28 provided on the lower portion of container 6.

Integrally, or otherwise formed with the terminal of stem 25 and extending upwardly adjacent one end of the container 6 is an actuating arm 29. A spring 30 is suitably anchored at one end to an end wall of container 6, and the other end of the spring is suitably connected to the upper end portion of arm 29. An actuating lever 31 is suitably connected at one end to the upper end of arm 29. Rod 31 extends upwardly in parallelism to an adjacent bar 12, and is slidable through a suitable guide member 32 provided therefor on said one bar 12. Manifestly, by pulling on rod 31 in a direction toward the right in Figure 5, arm 29 will be actuated against spring 30 for rocking valve stem 25 thus moving the valve 23 inwardly of container 6 out of engagement with valve seat 22 against the action of spring 16. Valve'23 being thus moved to an open position the material from container 6 will be free to flow through discharge neck 16 to be spread upon the ground through the medium of the chute 18 as is apparent.

Arranged within container 6 is a suitable agitator, the same including a hub 33 keyed to axle 8 through the medium of a set screw 34. Agitating blades 35 radiate from hub 32 so that obviously as the device is pushed along the ground, rotation of the axle 8 will impart movement to the agitator so that the blades thereof will suitably agitate the material in the container 6, thereby preventing the material becoming lumpy thus insuring the material in powdered or suitable form being discharged from the device for marking purposes.

In actual practice, the device is pushed along the ground in front of the person operating the same, and the material discharging from container 6, the amount of which is controlled by the operator through the medium of the valve means hereinbefore described, will be fed from chute 18 on to the ground, the width of the line drawn being regulated, as is apparent by the width of the chute 18.

Thus a device of this character will be found very handy in marking oif outdoor playing fields as a baseball diamond, gridiron and the like.

Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of changes, modifications and improvements coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A device of the character described comprising in combination a pair of oppositely disposed bars, a container mounted between said bars adjacent one end of the bars, an axle extending through said container and having the ends thereof journalled in said bars, supporting wheels journalled on the ends of said axle, handle bars connected at one end to said first mentioned bars, said container adjacent the bottom thereof provided with a discharge neck, Valve means normally closing said neck, and including an operating rod, and guide means for said rod on one of said handle bars.

2. A device of the character described comprising in combination a pair of oppositely disposed bars, a container mounted between said bars adjacent one end of the bars, an axle extending through said container and having the ends thereof journalled in said bars, supporting wheels journalled on the ends of said axle, handle bars connected at one end to said first mentioned bars, said container adjacent the bottom thereof provided with a discharge neck, valve means normally closing said neck, and including an operating rod, guide means for said rod on one of said handle bars, a discharge chute pivoted at one end to said discharge neck, and spring means for normally retaining said chute in an inclined position.

3. A device of the character described comprising in combination a pair of oppositely disposed bars, a container mounted between said bars adjacent one end of the bars, an axle extending through said container and having the ends thereof journalled in said bars, supporting wheels journalled on the ends of said axle, handle bars connected at one end to said first mentioned bars, said container adjacent the bottom thereof provided with a discharge neck, valve means normally closing said neck, and including an operating rod, guide means for said rod on one of said handle bars, a discharge chute pivoted at one end to said discharge neck, spring means for normally retaining said chute in an inclined position, and agitator means mounted on said axle for rotation therewith interiorly of said container.

In testimony whereof I ai'lix my signature.

HOWVARD J. LE ROY. 

